Contact: phil.robinson@roomfulofsky.com
Web: instagram.com/philrobinsonmusic
Players: Phil Robinson, vocals, guitar, harmonica; Anthony Surace, electric guitar; Jason Vitelli, keyboards, vocals, sax, guitar; John Carlos Feliciano, bass; Ryan McBride, drums; Swagata Biswas, vocals; Lisa Trenary, vocals; Samantha Echo, vocals; Heather Conrad, vocals; Maxie Poe, vocals, percussion.
One way to ring in your birthday is to book a performance and invite your music colleagues and friends to share the stage. That’s just how Phil Robinson chose to celebrate his big day. Treating us to 90 minutes of his mix of pop, rock, and blues, Robinson covered the gamut with originals and covers. Kicking off the set with Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ on a Prayer,” followed by George Michael’s “Careless Whisper,” the show ramped up the mood and enthusiasm of both performers and audience. In “25 Miles,” one of his originals, Robinson recalls the drive home from college after an exhausting semester. The long anticipatory lead up, almost spoken, breaks into a quasi-frenzied rant conveying the urgency to reach his destination. One can’t help being all in with “Through the Middle,” with its infectious hook that repeats numerous times, making it hard to forget.
Widely known for his harmonica playing, lending his talents to many other artists, a highpoint in the show was “Transcendental Cowboy.” The playing was smooth and polished adding further sonic dimension to the set.
Not knowing what a typical Robinson show looks like and strictly from a staging perspective, less might be more. The crowded space and numerous female backup singers in a rainbow of colored dresses, made it hard to take in everything simultaneously. Because Robinson shares the stage with so many performers the focus on him is sometimes deflected. Moving the singers to the back or sides and featuring each when the spotlight is on them would keep Robinson front and center. But he easily grabs it back with his gift of gab and does not leave any empty moments. There’s always an anecdote to share or an endearing quip, “I’m New Jersey’s third favorite singer,” he proclaims. Or a shout out to his mom who couldn’t attend the show.
He closed with Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah,” always a poignant note to end on.
Overall, it was an entertaining and celebratory evening from a performer who knows how to give his audience exactly what they came for.
